Thread by @BrooksDSimpson

No surprise to see Republicans who dismissed stories of Donald Trump's harrassing women jump on the allegations against Andrew Cuomo.

No surprise to see Democrats who welcomed charges against Republicans urge that we need to investigate before believing charges against Cuomo.

We'll hear a lot about motives (especially partisan ones) and a renewed debate on how we should initially treat allegations and view the people who make them.

None of this was hard to predict.

This will become a political football. and that means that larger issues will be obscured.

Sexual harassment is wrong, period. It's not boys just being boys, and it isn't always boys doing it or women being targeted.

Before you rush to conclusions, a little exercise is in order.

Perhaps the best way for folks to ponder how best to deal with the issue of how we handle such allegations is a very simple one.

1. How would you feel if you were the person making the allegation as a victim?

2. How would you feel if you were the person being accused--and, you believe, wrongly so?

You will find it challenging to set up a process that's fair, impartial, and seeks justice if you consider being the accuser and the accused.

Finally ...

Drop the discussion about motive. Determining (or alleging) motive may tell us why someone says something, but it doesn't determine whether the charge is true or false.